Testimonials for Rita Yerkes, Principal, Yerkes Consulting

“Thank you for leading our Board of Directors into our next phase of our growth and development. I thought that the session was great! I am very grateful for your professional skills and guidance.”

Joyce Mathey, Executive Director
Pay-It-Forward House
Sycamore, IL

“I had the pleasure of working with Yerkes Consulting, when Rita led our nonprofit board annual retreat. The focus of the half-day was on developing a culture of philanthropy surrounding our strategic planning goal of funding sustainability.

Rita’s approach to the planning and implementation of the retreat was stellar. She asked questions, listened, and delivered. She was respectful of our opinions on how to approach topics and flexible to meet our needs. She was in frequent contact in the few weeks prior to the retreat, making recommendations and lending her expertise to plan a successful event. Her style of presenting was interactive and effective, using small group discussion and experiential activities to keep us fresh and engaged.

When surveyed after the event, every board member agreed that it was worth their time and the organization investment.”

Lynette Spencer, LCSW, Executive Director
Adventure Works, DeKalb, IL

“Yerkes Consulting is providing valuable services to nonprofit organizations in DeKalb County. From strategic planning and board development, to outcomes assessment and leadership seminars, Rita is able to customize her assistance to meet the needs of her customers. We are fortunate to have Rita as a local resource!”

Ben Bingle, Manager
DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership

“We worked with Rita on several occasions to align our board more closely with our mission, initiate a strategic plan, and ensure that we have a board of committed members by engaging in the tough conversations and learning more about the board collectively; but, more importantly, learning more about the individuals that make up the board. Growing is always a challenge. Rita made the process amiable, understandable, collegial, and doable. What seemed like a monumental task ended up being a fun and engaging experience. Thank you, Rita, for enabling us to solidify the “why” of the “what” we are doing, gain perspective, and move our organization forward. Rita knows her stuff and can transform a difficult process into something rewarding and engaging”

Angela Crossin, Board Member
Porter County Parks Foundation, Valparaiso, IN

“Rita served on the Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association’s Professional Development Committee, which planned and organized our initial Great Lakes Academy for Leadership Advancement for park and recreation professionals. Her organizational skills and leadership to make this now annually acclaimed professional development program a highly sought after training school for professionals desiring to enhance their leadership skills.

During the process Rita also extended her expertise in providing needed development strategies and training for our Board of Directors to ensure that they were properly focused on appropriate and meaningful action items while developing our state association’s strategic and business plan. Her unique ability to grasp what was pertinent and relevant for our board was always embraced and accepted as she made the process meaningful and measurable so that a clear course of needed action was understood and accepted by those in leadership positions.

I highly recommend Rita to any organization who wants a top notch executive, who possesses a progressive and open leadership style and who has the unique ability to get things done expeditiously and in a cost-effective manner.”

Steven J. Thompson, CPRP
Executive Director Emeritus
Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association (WPRA)

Rita, “I wanted to invite you back to the Mid States Camping Conference this year as an Education Speaker. Attendees really enjoyed your session “Developing A Culture of Inclusivity at Camp for Children, Parents & Staff” and we would love it if you would come and speak at Mid States again.”

Kimberly Steiner
Program Specialist
American Camp Association, Illinois

“Yerkes Consulting helped us to meet and exceed our goals for our board development workshop. I highly recommend them.”

Walter Lenckos
Superintendent
Porter County Indiana Parks and Recreation

“Rita and I work together as volunteers for the American Camp Association on the Board Development Committee. Her work with ACA has been outstanding and I have appreciated her attention to detail and the dedication she brings to the job. She is always very thorough in any assignment she tackles and brings a very clear and concise analysis to the group. It is a pleasure to serve with her.”

Ann Sheets
Sr. Vice President at Camp Fire USA First Texas Council
Past President, American Camp Association

“Rita Yerkes is uniquely suited and able to assist a variety of businesses and organizations with strategic planning, board development, operational restructure, human resource professional development, program design, and on-target problem solving. Rita and I recently co-led an American Camp Association, Basic Camp Director Course. It was a pleasure to work with Rita. She is a team player and consistently focuses on meeting the needs of students and clients. She has abundant knowledge and access to extensive resources, and she gladly shares both! Rita serves on the board of directors of my employer, the American Camp Association, Illinois and her counsel has been one of the keys to a major upgrading of our governance. I wholeheartedly endorse her consulting services.”

Gordie Kaplan
Executive Director Emeritus
American Camp Association, Illinois

“Rita has been a constant “go to” throughout my career. As a graduate advisor, and as a mentor through my years as the Executive Director leading a nationally known non-profit, Rita was grounded and wise in all of her coaching and support. Rita is a strategic thinker and brings not only her passions and expertise to her work, she also brings compassion mixed with reality based vision and leadership. In all the roles Rita has held; as board member, accreditation council chair, adviser, consultant, mentor etc., she shines light on critical areas of organizational growth and development. Her commitment to excellence and inclusivity serves as a model for all.”

Sky Gray, M.S.
Program Manager,
Valley of the Moon Children’s Center
Santa Rosa, CA

“I’m happy to recommend Rita. She worked with us in preparation for our 100th anniversary celebration and helped us identify what we needed to do. Her excellent recommendations on how we should proceed provided us with the necessary framework to organize and preserve our historical materials. Rita is a pleasure to work with and her expertise is an asset to any organization.”

Harriet Lowe – Director of Communications
American Camp Association

“I have worked with Rita in several capacities – both as a customer of hers and as co-presenter in media consultation. Working closely under her guidance my company created an impactful recruiting video for George Williams College of Aurora University. We also gave two presentations together teaching effective use of media in camp and outdoor programs. Rita is extremely knowledgeable in all topics in which she consults and is a confident, highly effective presenter. She is an asset in any project which she is involved.” 

Gary Cline
Cline Creative Media

“I have been fortunate to work with Rita in various committees and projects with the Association for Experiential Education. We served together on the Board of Directors, professional groups, and the Journal Advisory committee. For over thirty years Rita has served the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) with the highest ethical standards. She is a visionary with a capacity for consensus building and collaboration that produces remarkable results. She has been an important mentor to many younger members who have gone on to leadership roles in AEE.”

Karen Warren
Associate Professor, Hampshire College
Association for Experiential Education